Bad Article Concerning Mold in Toronto Star

[Mike Lamb]

This article was posted at InspectionNews and is worth sharing.

Toronto Star-Home inspection may require a team approach

Mold is becoming an even larger issue with older homes, especially after the flooding and sewage backup that occurred last summer in many areas of the GTA. The good news is that there are now companies that can inspect for mold without having to look behind walls, due to their sophisticated infra-red equipment, thus being able to give a buyer comfort that they will not be facing significant bills in the future to remedy a mold build-up. This can be very expensive as it typically requires removing substantial amounts of drywall and then spraying the entire interior of the home to remove the mold spores. Some companies that offer this service are Tri-Star Disaster recovery Services, Canada Restoration Services and Greenstream Environmental.

Konstantino Zaraliakos, the President of Tri-Star Disaster Recovery Inc., tells me that the cost to conduct a mold inspection can be done for as little as $300. The size of the home and the extent of the mold damage within the home will determine how many samples are needed. He says that more and more buyers are now requesting this inspection as part of their home inspection process. He also states that even homeowners who are not selling their homes are requesting these inspections because of their desire to know that their home is healthy.

I sent an email to the author a couple weeks ago about IR and mold, and he did not respond. So I sent an email to the editor and the corrections dept. They also did not respond.

If anyone cares to contact the author or the Toronto Star:

mark@markweisleder.com

publiced@thestar.ca

oped@thestar.ca

[Ben H]

Just another scam touting x-ray vision with thermal. I have one, and I get tired of the same speech over and over again about the limitations of the tech. I also tire of trying to explain why I don't offer a "mold inspection".

[hausdok]

The last thing they want is the truth, Mike.

The truth doesn't sell papers.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[hoosier inspector]

And for an extra fee we can also look for ghosts!

[Eric B]

I sent an email to the author a couple weeks ago about IR and mold, and he did not respond. So I sent an email to the editor and the corrections dept. They also did not respond.

When articles are that far off base I wouldn't expect a response. I've had very little "luck" in authors showing interest to my responses to incorrectly written text. I suspect many are primarily interested in being able to say that they're published rather than providing useful information.

[Marc]

I was agreeing with Mike O until I saw a video of the author being interviewed on a local television station about real estate. The closed captioning got about half the words right and at one point he said something to the effect that the home inspector was the only representation the buyer has available and so it's important to research him carefully before you hire him.

In regard to his comments on realtor referrals and mold, I think the guy is simply grossly naive.

Marc